The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara State has strongly condemned the Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq-led government for its decision to dissolve the Kwara State Community and Social Development Agency (KWASCDA), a World Bank-assisted initiative that has played a crucial role in bridging infrastructural gaps in rural communities.
In a statement signed by its State Publicity Secretary, Olusegun Olusola Adewara, the PDP described the government’s action as a severe setback for thousands of rural dwellers who have benefited from the agency’s interventions, including the provision of boreholes, classrooms, electricity transformers, and sanitation projects.
According to the PDP, the removal of KWASCDA from the upcoming phase of the World Bank-supported NG-CARES programme is unjustified and a direct attack on rural development in the state. The party expressed dismay that while 35 other states in Nigeria continue to benefit from the initiative, Kwara has been left out due to what it termed “self-serving political decisions” by the Abdulrazaq administration.
The PDP reminded Kwarans that KWASCDA was established in 2009 under the administration of Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki and was sustained by subsequent governments. The party further alleged that the decision to scrap the agency was motivated by political vendetta, as certain government officials sought to control project costs and contractor selections—something that the World Bank’s stringent oversight did not permit.
“The Abdulrazaq administration has demonstrated a lack of commitment to genuine development. Rather than ensuring equitable distribution of projects across the state, the government has concentrated resources on extravagant, wasteful projects in the capital while neglecting rural communities,” the statement read.
The PDP also revealed that it had received distress calls from several affected communities that had submitted expressions of interest for the 2024 intervention projects. These communities, expecting infrastructure improvements such as school renovations, health centers, and water supply systems, have now been abandoned.
Calling for the immediate reversal of what it described as an “anti-people policy,” the PDP urged the World Bank, the Federal Government, and civil society organizations to investigate the matter and ensure that Kwara’s rural populace is not unfairly deprived of developmental opportunities.
“Kwara belongs to all, and we will not stand by while a few individuals in government sabotage the progress of our people. The rural populace deserves better than a government that abandons them to darkness, water scarcity, dilapidated schools, and insecurity,” the statement concluded.
